The Jets have made it widely known that they’ll be using the Wildcat this year. But what if they actually won’t be using it at all? They’ve hired former Dolphins coach Tony Sparano, who four years ago bedeviled the Patriots with the surprise unveiling of the NFL’s version of the alternative attack, which works best [...]
The concern about Packers linebacker Desmond Bishop appears to be warranted. According to Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette, citing an unnamed source, Bishop could miss a large part or all of the season because of a hamstring injury. There was some concern about Bishop’s right knee after Chargers running back Ronnie Brown fell [...]
Chargers running back Ryan Mathews had surgery on his broken clavicle on Friday, one day after he suffered the injury in the preseason opener against the Packers. Interest now turns to how the Chargers will replace him and how long they will have to worry about replacing him. Coach Norv Turner said that the team [...]
The top priority for any team in the preseason is to keep as many players as possible healthy. For the Packers, the preseason has begun with linebacker Desmond Bishop being helped off the field with a right leg injury. It appears that Chargers running back Ronnie Brown landed on the top of Bishop’s lower leg [...]
The Chargers were having some fun with it, but they think the Wildcat might become a serious part of their game plan. The laughs were flowing Friday, when quarterback Philip Rivers ran a post route which nose tackle Antonio Garay described as “Forrest Gump-ish.” The Chargers mixed it up in practice Friday by putting Ronnie…
The Chargers were having some fun with it, but they think the Wildcat might become a serious part of their game plan. The laughs were flowing Friday, when quarterback Philip Rivers ran a post route which nose tackle Antonio Garay described as “Forrest Gump-ish.” The Chargers mixed it up in practice Friday by putting Ronnie…
A busy Friday got even busier for the Chargers with the announcement that they have signed running back Jackie Battle. The team signed defensive tackle Aubrayo Franklin and released Kris Dielman from the reserve/retired list in addition to the Battle move. Battle visited with the Chargers back in March and was talked about as a…
Folks covering the team were convinced late last season that coach Norv Turner and G.M. A.J. Smith were on the outs in San Diego. After a 4-1 start, the Chargers dropped six straight games in October and November. While they closed strong with victories in four of their final five, owner Dean Spanos’ January 3…
Adrian Peterson wasn’t the only NFL running back arrested over the weekend. According to Bryan Fitzgerald of the Albany Times-Union, Eagles running back Dion Lewis and his older brother were arrested early Saturday after allegedly banging on the locked doors to a hotel lobby and eventually pulling a fire alarm. Lewis is charged with a [...]
Adrian Peterson wasn’t the only NFL running back arrested over the weekend. According to Bryan Fitzgerald of the Albany Times-Union, Eagles running back Dion Lewis and his older brother were arrested early Saturday after allegedly banging on the locked doors to a hotel lobby and eventually pulling a fire alarm. Lewis is charged with a [...]
DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Lions have a host of issues at running back.
Starter Jahvid Best is out with a concussion, and ESPN reported Thursday that backup Jerome Harrison has a brain tumor. The network based its reported on two NFL sources it did not identify.
The Lions tried to trade Harrison to Philadelphia on Tuesday, but the deal was voided for unspecified reasons. The Lions listed Harrison as having an “illness” that held him out of Thursday’s practice.
“It’s a privacy issue and I’m not going to comment on it,” Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. “He’s back on our 53-man roster.”
Harrison’s agent, Mitch Frankel, did not return phone and email messages.
Detroit wanted to trade Harrison to Philadelphia for Ronnie Brown and a draft pick because it needs help in the backfield following Best’s third concussion last Sunday in a loss to San Francisco.
Schwartz will only say that Best will play when he’s given medical clearance. Lions offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said he “certainly” expects the speedy, second-year pro to be on the field again this season and Best’s agent, Tony Fleming, said his client’s status will be evaluated on a week-to-week basis.
“Caution is being taken of course, but he should be OK soon,” Fleming wrote in an email to The Associated Press.
The Lions (5-1) are expected to rotate Maurice Morris and Keiland Williams along with return specialist Stefan Logan in the backfield against Atlanta (3-3) on Sunday at home.
“All our backs are a little bit different, all of them bring a little something different to the offense,” Schwartz said. “We’ll use anybody that we have available on Sunday to the best of their abilities.”
Morris had five rushing attempts against the 49ers to more than double the number of carries he had over the first five games of the season. The 10-year veteran insisted he is not fired up about getting a chance to play much more against the Falcons.
“I’d be excited if I’m in one, two or three plays,” Morris said. “I understand with the injury, I’m going to play more, but I approach every game the same as though I’m going to have to play a lot because you never know when somebody is going to go down and your number is going to get called. I’m preparing for this game the same way I did going into Week 1.”
Morris was slowed in training camp by a broken right hand and had just two carries in the season-opening win at Tampa Bay. He had a mere two more carries over the next four games, but has been relatively productive when given a chance to do more.
The former Seattle Seahawk has had at least 15 carries four times in his two-plus seasons with the Lions and responded with 126 yards rushing and a touchdown in one of those games two years ago against Arizona and 109 yards with a score in another such opportunity last year against Tampa Bay.
Linehan doesn’t expect the Falcons to overlook Morris, thinking they caught a break not having to chase Best.
“Mo has been in the League a long time, I’m sure they are going to look and say, ‘Hey, this guy can do this, you better not fall asleep on him,’” Linehan said.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Steelers cornerback William Gay understands the buzz surrounding the Philadelphia Eagles. Turn the frenzied NFL free agency period into your own high-end shopping spree the way the Eagles did, and it’s hard not to notice.
Pro Bowl cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. Quarterback Vince Young. Defensive linemen Cullen Jenkins and Jason Babin. Running back Ronnie Brown. The list of impact signings goes on and on.
Impressive? Yes. A guarantee the Eagles, who visit the defending AFC champions on Thursday, will play into February?
Hardly.
“When have you known talk to win a Super Bowl?” Gay said. “You can’t worry about that. You’ve got to let the media do all that.”
Not that the Eagles haven’t done a little chirping of their own. Young dubbed Philadelphia the “Dream Team,” a moniker Pittsburgh safety Ryan Clark politely called “interesting” even if it’s just August.
“You’re talking about one of the best college players of all time, a No. 3 draft pick and he’s the backup,” Clark said. “Look at the talent they have lined up, it’s all over the place. Those guys feel that way and if Vince wanted to say it he has every right.”
Pittsburgh, meanwhile, has remained quiet, mainly because there hasn’t been much to talk about following a lethargic 16-7 loss to Washington last Friday in the preseason opener.
The defense couldn’t get off the field – giving up 452 yards of total offense – and the offense couldn’t stay on it – converting just 2 of 11 third downs.
“That was a wake-up call and it’s time to start playing football,” defensive tackle Chris Hoke said. “I don’t think anybody was happy with the way they played on Friday night.”
Asked whether he’s looking for more intensity or execution against Philadelphia, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said “all of the above.”
The return of defensive stars James Harrison and Troy Polamalu should help. The duo sat out the preseason opener for precautionary reasons. They’re fresh and ready to test themselves at full speed.
“I feel great now,” said Polamalu, who spent the end of last season nursing a nagging Achilles injury. “Coach has given me a lot of rest and allowed me to do the things I need to do to get healthy.”
Polamalu and the rest of the starters will play between 20-25 snaps, which should give the Steelers plenty of face time with Philadelphia quarterback Michael Vick.
Though Pittsburgh led the NFL in scoring defense and was second in total defense a year ago, the Steelers had trouble when opponents spread the field. Green Bay did it with ease in the Super Bowl, and the Eagles could be just as tricky to defend now that wide receiver DeSean Jackson is back in the fold after ending his holdout.
“They’ve got great skill offensively,” Tomlin said. “They’re a great football team.”
One that looked pretty good during a 13-6 victory over Baltimore last week. Vick led the offense to a touchdown while the defense kept the Ravens out of the end zone. Coach Andy Reid is impressed with how quickly the free agents have assimilated, yet knows his team will get a better barometer of where it’s at when it steps onto Heinz Field.
“You’re playing a Super Bowl team, a Super Bowl caliber team,” Reid said. “(This game) allows you to get good work against the best, and I welcome that.”
Even if some of the best on both teams will be watching from the sideline due to injury. Cornerbacks Ike Taylor and Bryant McFadden are out for Pittsburgh while wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, tackle Winston Justice and defensive tackle Trevor Laws will sit for the Eagles.
Gay and third-year man Keenan Lewis will start at corner for the Steelers, and they’ll be tested while facing Vick, who was the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year last fall.
Now confidently in command after Kevin Kolb was traded to Arizona, Vick is embracing his role as a leader.
“I think he’s putting pressure on himself to be a better football player,” Reid said. “I think he’s putting pressure on the guys around him to be a better football player and at the same time, rallying them to try to bring out the best in them. I think he’s doing an excellent job of that.”
Vick will have to for the Eagles to meet their sky-high expectations. If they take some of the shine off the Steelers in the process, Clark says all the better.
“Those guys can deal with the limelight and the pressure of calling themselves the ‘Dream Team’ and that’s a lot of pressure, but when you have the guys that they have together, why not?” he said. “They probably have the most exciting quarterback in football, cornerbacks you can play all over the field man-to-man. Why not be excited about that? Why not accept that pressure? As for us, you can’t pay attention to that.
“We’re just going to keep going about our work.”
© 2011 The Associated Press
The Eagles agreed to contract terms Tuesday with veteran running back Ronnie Brown, who spent his first six seasons with the Dolphins. The 29-year-old Brown rushed for 4,815 yards and 36 touchdowns and caught 184 passes for 1,491 yards with Miami. He ran for 1,000 yards in 2006 and made his only Pro Bowl team in 2008.
Full story at Yahoo Sports